Media Gallery
Pennies for Patients
Mount Pisgah Christian School’s Pennies for Patients fundraising campaign is making a tremendous difference for those who suffer from leukemia or lymphoma. Last year, Pisgah raised more than $17,000.00, ranking among the top five schools in the state and eleventh nationally. It was also the most money raised per student in Georgia.
Throughout the month of February, the entire Pisgah community takes part in the fundraiser, with all proceeds benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Parents and students are asked to bring in their spare change (although we love bills too). By donating to the LLS we are helping to fight the #1 disease killer of children.
This cause has great significance for the Pisgah family because these illnesses have touched the lives of several students and faculty members. This year the school is recognizing several of these Honored Heroes, including: Boy’s Basketball Coach Joe Marelle; senior Anna Giglia; grandparent and member of the Board of Trustees Glen ‘Happy’ Mayer; and alumni Kirk Denham. The Pisgah family also wishes to pay honor and tribute to one of their own who recently lost his battle with leukemia: 2005 graduate Jeff Horne.
Double-teaming has meaning for meaning for one dad
(as seen in the AJC 01/01/08)
Mount Pisgah's Joe Marelle knows all about coaching your own kid. Marelle, who has been coaching high school basketball for nearly 30 years, got to work with both of his sons. His elder son, Joey, played the 2000-2001 seasons at Duluth, where his dad was in charge of the program for 23 years. His younger son, Tony, graduated last year from Mount Pisgah, where he played two seasons under his father;s tutelage. The two joined together to win the 2006 GISA state championship. The father was asked how he reflected on the experiences:
The positives? "When you've been in this profession as long as I have, one of the things that gets neglected is spending time with your kids. When you have the opportunity to coach them, you actually get to spend more time with them."
The negatives? "Sometimes people from the outside think your kids get special privileges. If anything, I was a little harder on my sons, because my expectations were greater. But you still hear people say some hurtful things. However, it taught my kids how to fight adversity and ended up being great life lessons for both of them."
Advice for other parents coaching their own children? "I had to help my sons understand that when I was coaching, I was 'Coach' and not 'Dad.' Nothing I ever said to them [regarding] basketball was ever meant to be taken personally. However, when a coach is upset with a player, the player goes home. But when that player is your son, he goes home with you. So you really have to try extra hard to make sure that special father-son relationship is not damaged."
Fedale Hall named to AJC ALL-AREA FOOTBALL: ALL NORTHSIDE TEAM
(as seen in AJC on 12/27/07)
Pisgah’s Fedale Hall was named to the AJC All-Area Northside Football Team. His impressive stats were printed in the paper:
RB ....Fedale Hall..........Mount Pisgah ....So.....5-9....170
1,586 yards, 19 TDs rushing
Fedale was also named one of the AJC’s Players of the Week during the Fall of 2007 season.
Pisgah Softball finishes third in NAML tournament
(as seen in the Johns Creek Herald 11/22/07)
The Mount Pisgah Middle School softball team defeated Mt. Paran 8-1 to finish third in the North Atlanta Metro League (NAML) playoffs. The Lady Patriots finished the season 8-2-1 overall.
Prep Courses a factor in north Fulton’s SAT success
(as seen as in the North Fulton Neighbor 10/24/07)
North Fulton public and private school students are continuing to score high on SAT exams, and administrators say mandatory prep courses will continue the rise to the top.
Kaplan and College Board SAT prep classes have proven beneficial to college-bound north Fulton students, Fulton County spokeswoman Susan Hale said. “Preparation for the SAT is crucial in enhancing overall test performance. Students perform better and are more confident when they are familiar with the test structure,” she said.
The results have been positive. Six North Fulton public schools were named in the Top 25 for Georgia’s highest SAT scores. Leading the pack in second place was Northview High School with a median score of 1,702 followed by Roswell High School in fifth place with 1,689. The largest improvement in north Fulton public school SAT scores came at Alpharetta High School, increasing by 51 points and ranking ninth in the state.
Rivaling public school SAT scores are Mount Pisgah Christian School and Fellowship Christian School. Mt. Pisgah has 175 high school students, all of whom took a required SAT junior class course. The school’s SAT results were high in 2006, with a median score of 1,720. “We are a small school with big school opportunities,” Upper School Principal Bill Shelnutt said. “Our success comes from individual instruction you receive when you have small teacher to student ratios.”
Fellowship Christian School’s 2007 median SAT score is 1,664. But some private schools chose not to provide their SAT scores. Blessed Trinity Student Activities Director and Business Education Instructor Karen Hurley would not comment for this article, stating, “We would prefer not to share that information at this time.”
St. Francis and Kings Ridge Christian School did not return calls for comment despite repeated attempts.
Students Become Earthwatch Explorers
Ask a group of teenagers: “How would you like to spend part of your summer vacation living in a tent with no TV, going days without a shower, surrounded by mounds of bird poo?” You can imagine the reaction. But five students from Mount Pisgah Christian School jumped at the chance to do just that on an incredible Earthwatch expedition to Alaska.
Stacy Baker, a Pisgah Biology teacher, and her students spent two weeks studying the seabirds of Prince William Sound. According to Baker, “Monitoring the health of wildlife in this area is particularly important because the ecosystem was threatened by the Exxon-Valdez spill in 1991.”
The students filed regular reports on their website blog: “I feel like I’m in National Geographic magazine, said 18-year-old Poncho Doucette. “I have not showered in like eight days but it is so worth it!”
The kids were awestruck by the natural beauty of Alaska’s glaciers, mountains, and wildlife. “This was one of the coolest experiences that I have ever had,” said 17-year-old David Brumley. “I will always remember swimming and bathing next to a 10,000-year-old glacier and seeing giant chunks break off of it.”
The team focused on one specific seabird: the black-legged kittiwake. Working from inflatable boats with US Fish and Wildlife Service biologists, the students became real-life researchers. 16-year-old Leah Puffenberger plans to study animal science in college and loved the hands-on experience. “Being able to handle a baby kittiwake, measure it, study it, and release it back in to the wild gave me the feeling of being a real biologist. I feel very fortunate that my high school offered this experience for us.”
The terrain was rugged and the weather was often cold and miserable, but the students felt the harsh conditions only added to the adventure. “Being away from the hustle and bustle of life is one of the better aspects of the trip,” says 17-year-old Max King. “What can I say? Birds, bears, baby chicks, glaciers, and chilly mornings... life is good.”
Hours of video and loads of photos will allow the teens to preserve their memories of the trip for many years to come. Some of their fondest memories spring from some unlikely events. “I have seen some things that I never thought I’d have the chance to see,” says 17-year-old Ali Chouhdry. “A bald eagle tearing the heads off of baby kittiwake chicks, gulls dive bombing us on top of the colony and pooing all over us, and glaciers breaking off into the bay. I hope everyone reading this has the same opportunity to experience nature at its best!”
2006/2007 Pennies for Patients
Coach Brooks was named Fund Raising Coordinator of the Year for the Pennies for Patients Organization.
With over $17,000 raised for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Mount Pisgah is the No. 2 school in the state for total money raised through the Pennies for Patients program and the No. 1 school in the state for money raised per student.
Janico and Mitchell Win in Gator Town
Jordan Janico of Mount Pisgah Christian School fired a 4-under-par 66 to claim the Overall Male title at the 2007 SJGT UF Junior Classic at the par-70 University of Florida Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla. Alei Mitchell of Waycross, Ga., successfully defended her Overall Female title.
Janico opened with 73 and was 1-shot out of the lead in the Male 14-15 Division. Jordan started out with a solid front making two birdies for a 33. On the back nine, he made a bogey on 14 and bounced back to make par on 15 and birdie on 16, 17 and 18 to give him a 33 and a total 66 and a two-day total of 139. This is Janico’s second win on tour in 2007.
Three Seniors Sign to Play College Sports!
Eric Seigler, Tony Marelle and Joe Reilly all signed letters of intent to play sports at Sewanee: The University of the South for the 2007-2008 season. The official signing took place in the J. Ferrell Drummond Center on Monday, May 7 at 10:30 a.m. Athletic director Marc Felice and Upper School principal Bill Shelnut, along with players, coaches and parents were all in attendance.
Eric Seigler will play football at Sewanee. A four year letterman and member of the inaugural varsity football team, Eric also served as team captain his senior year. In addition to playing football, Eric was also a captain on the varsity soccer team this spring.
Starting point guard Tony Marelle will be attending Sewanee to play basketball. Since transferring to Mount Pisgah his junior year, Tony, coached by his father Joe, has had a big impact on the basketball program. Tony was a team captain and is also an honor roll student.
Joe Reilly will play baseball. The third baseman was team captain this spring, and has been in the varsity baseball program since 8th grade. Joe is a member of the National Honor Society, and has also captained the varsity cross country team for the past three years.
Sewanee: The University of the South is a member institution in the NCAA Division III, and competes in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC).
Congratulations to the MPCS Golf Team
The US Team took a third place at the Atlanta Athletic Club Invitational which featured many ranked schools in all classifications. 8th grader Billy Kennerly tied for 1st overall shooting a 68, and 9th grader Michael Motz shot a 75! Earlier in the week Jordan Janico shot a 73 (5th overall) earning him an exemption at the qualifier for the Mizuno Junior held at Chateau Elan. Last month Jordan (only a freshman) won the Turtle Point Jr. Classic at Kiawah Island (also a qualifier), for his age group by 8 strokes, but also won the overall for all age groups by a stroke over last year’s senior division champion!
Pennies for Patients
Thank you to all the MPCS students who helped raise money for this year’s Pennies for Patients campaign. Students raised over an estimated $17,000. This campaign is to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, in honor of our patient hero, Marcela Torres, and our own Happy Mayer. A huge thank you is also extended to Happy and his wife, Lynn, who matched all Lower School donations. Keith and Jennifer Daniels matched the Early School donations.
For more information about this campaign, please contact Coach Brooks at dbrooks@mountpisgahschool.org
Character Rocks
Lower School students know that having good character means doing the right thing all the time, even when they think no one is looking. The Character Development program is entrenched in all aspects of their day. Students who demonstrate outstanding character in the lunchroom are awarded Lunchroom Boarding Passes, which are submitted every other week for a $10.00 Brookwood Grill gift certificate. Specials teachers award Boarding Passes for excellent behavior and then, if selected during bi-weekly drawings, winning students get to have pizza with Mrs. Alexander, Mrs. Shaw, Ms. Powell and Coach Brooks. For those students who go above and beyond the call of duty in the area of character development, teachers may award Character Rocks. Recipients of these colorful jewel-like red and blue glass rocks are recognized during Monday afternoon Chapel Rally and photographed for the character wall of fame. This program makes “getting caught” a really great thing!
Operation Christmas Child Campaign
Students in the Lower School programs, along with MPCS Sunday School children, donated a record 823 shoeboxes to this year’s Operation Christmas Child campaign. This outreach program sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse helps spread Christian joy to children all over the world. MPCS boxes this year were delivered to appreciative children in India. To get involved with this wonderful service project, please contact Millie Thompson, PALS Chairperson.
Choosing a Career
On Friday, February 23, Upper School students learned about a wide variety of different careers. Mike Kenn, former Atlanta Falcon and Fulton County Commissioner and current president of Georgians for Better Transportation, kicked-off the season with an inspiring introduction about the importance of making an impact within the community. Students then had several opportunities to meet with professionals representing different career paths ranging from education to entrepreneurship. After lunch with our distinguished guests, students participated in workshops that covered topics including how to dress to impress, how to write a resume, and how to build your best life. Our own Happy Mayer provided the closing remarks, reminding everyone to “Be Happy” whatever career they choose.
We would like to extend a special thanks to all of our guest speakers and all who contributed in making this event successful.
Relay for Life
Our First Steps faculty will walk together in the Relay for Life on April 20th at Roswell Area Park. This dedicated group hopes to raise $2000 for cancer research. To support our teachers in this charitable endeavor, please contact Nicole Scott at nscott@firststepsacademy.com
NAEYC Rug Design Winner
After attending a NAEYC conference in November, Early School lead teacher Jan Montgomery entered the winning design for NAEYC’s rug design search. The theme of her design is “Portrait of America” and it incorporates a tableau of patriotic images including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, Mt. Rushmore, the White House, the American Flag and a map of the United States in bright shades of red, white and blue. Congratulations Ms. Jan!